Naruto and Nagato
by Raidriar
Summary: The self-proclaimed god and the supposed demon. The Akatsuki leader and the Hero. Both have walked a lonely path. What will happen when they meet? Rated T for swearing.
1. A chance meeting

**A/N: My first Naruto fanfic! Credit to my beta, GuiltyBird! Check out his stories by going to his profile ( u/1733848/)**

**My personal favourite is Tale of the Setting Sun ( s/8963527/1/Tale-of-the-Setting-Sun) so go take a look.**

It was October 10th. The sun had begun to set beneath the clouds, painting the sky with streaks of orange. It was a time for celebration and mourning, for it was that very day eleven years ago when the Kyuubi no Kitsune (The Nine Tailed Fox) had ravaged the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure no Sato. Shinobi paid their respects to fallen comrades, while other joined the festival celebrating the Kyuubi's defeat.

Naruto Uzumaki was sitting on his bed, a cup of ramen sitting half-eaten in his hand, watching as the villagers jeered at him through the filthy window of his apartment. He flinched as an empty can of beer sailed through the air, narrowly missing the glass. Tears had already begun to spill onto his orange jumpsuit but he angrily wiped them away. He hadn't done anything wrong! No way was he going to let those villagers get to him. He'd become Hokage! He'd show them that he deserved their respect in place of hatred.

Every day. Every single day, he was abused by the villagers in one way or another. Whether it was bumping into him on the street or selling him faulty weapons. They told their children to avoid him, to leave him alone. Besides, they were already busy fawning over the Uchiha anyway. But not when he became the Hokage! They'd look up to him then. It would be _him _they'd gush over.

Jumping up, he clenched his empty fist, slamming the ramen onto his table. He'd show them.

* * *

The man in the black cloak with red clouds moved smoothly, his long ginger hair blowing in the wind as he leapt from tree to tree. A slashed Rain Village headband glinted softly in the evening sunlight.

Night was approaching fast, he noted, increasing his pace. He had to reach Konoha quickly, so that he might mingle with the crowd as they returned to the village from their annual parade around the walls.

Even as he travelled steadily towards the Hidden Leaf Village, he had begun to run through a steady number of hand seals, finishing on the Boar sign. To any sensors, it would appear as if his chakra signature had simply faded.

The man continued on, not even slowing down as he came across a leaf patrol Shinobi.

"Hey, what are you–"

The ninja looked down to see a black rod impaled through his chest. Shock and pain stopped him from crying for help as he fell to his knees and slumped down, dead, into a puddle of his own blood. The orange-haired man didn't look back, feeling no pity for the fallen Shinobi.

'_Such a pathetic excuse for a mortal,' _he thought with revulsion. _'So weak.'_

He came to a halt. Stepping into the air, he gracefully fell to the ground and landed in a crouch before straightening up.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He muttered, blurring through more hand signs. Six bodies, all wearing identical cloaks appeared in a cloud of smoke. Their features were hidden by the shadows of the night.

The long-haired man stepped back to join the ranks of the newcomers, as one of those six walked forward. This one had hair rising in spikes and three piercings through his nose.

Discarding his cloak to reveal a normal black robe underneath, he clasped his hands into a ram seal, masking his true eyes with temporary onyx coloured ones. They would have to do for now.

Striding forward towards the village gates and grimacing in disgust at the stench of the crowd as he followed them from behind, hastening in order to join their number.

A particularly drunk man barrelled in front of him, a bottle of cheap sake in his hands.

"Ha, the Yondaime got that demon good! Just gotta… Gotta kill the demon-child, eh?" He slurred, teetering about dangerously while waving the glass bottle around. The people around him shouted in agreement.

The man's face remained static. _'They would hurt an innocent child without reason?' _He inwardly questioned curiously.

"Move," he commanded the drunk. The fool laughed, the smell of alcohol washing over the man.

"Whatcha gonna do?" He spat. The man briefly contemplated stabbing him with a chakra rod to kill him in a long, drawn out and extremely painful fashion.

'_No,' _he mused silently. _'I can't let my cover slip.'_

"I am not a patient man," he stated without a flicker of emotion, grabbing the drunk's wrist and squeezing it until it shattered. Luckily, the crowd's collective yelling masked his agonised screams. Allowing himself a brief smirk of satisfaction, the man kicked the drunk away where he collapsed onto the floor, nursing his injury.

The man in the black cloak didn't look back, instead continuing on through the large wooden gates of Konoha as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"Maybe I should go and pay Old Man Ichiraku a visit," Naruto wondered aloud. "No one saw me last year, and I got as much ramen as I could eat free. Yeah, that's what I'll do! I'll sneak out, dattebayo!"

The young boy grabbed his orange sneakers and slid them on, hastily throwing the laces in an approximation of a knot.

"On second thoughts, I'll bring Gama-chan just in case," he said to no one in particular, grabbing his green froglike wallet from his cheap wooden table before dashing to the door and slipping away into the shadows.

* * *

Danzo sat there, fear overpowering every other emotion. The Akatsuki leader himself stood before him, leaving his two best ROOT agents gurgling in their own blood, a metal pole rammed through each of their stomachs.

"I won't ask again. Where is Hanzo of the Salamander?"

Danzo took a shaky breath, fingers ghosting towards his Sharingan Arm in an effort to release the clamps without him noticing. Immediately, a shockwave of force exploded through the room, sending Danzo hurtling through the air to crack his head against the wall. The man stalked forward and grabbed his shift, lifting him up against the wall with a single hand.

"This is your last opportunity before I rip the information from your mind. The only reason you are still alive is because you have more use to me that way," he said in a monotone. Thoughts raced through the old warlords head, but self-preservation took priority.

"He's… In his private mansion. The one is Ame is a decoy. His location is around fifty miles North of the longest tower in the city," Danzo hissed through the pain. The other man contemplated this information for a couple of seconds, before smashing the other's head against the wall, knocking him out cold.

'_Interesting…'_

The man actually smiled in anticipation. Soon, Hanzo would know pain.

* * *

"Please!" Naruto whimpered, shrinking into the alley corner. "I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I won't do it again. Don't hurt me…"

The mob cruelly laughed as one. Chants of "demon!" ran through the air, as the eleven year old was beaten within an inch of his life. His face had already begun to swell, and purple bruising ran down his arms as he used them to shield the rest of his body.

"Please! It hurts so bad! Please stop!" He cried in anguish. Of course, no one came to help. They never did.

* * *

The man stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to the side. Yes, he could definitely hear it. Anguished screams just over the sound of jeering.

He was about to continue on his path – he had no time for Konoha's concerns after all, before one comment, yelled by a loud-mouthed woman, shocked him. Froze him completely. Stopped all thought in his brain and numbed his senses for that moment in time.

"Kill the Uzumaki demon! No one'll care if that devil Orphan dies!"

'_Uzumaki? But… They're all dead! I'm the last one. Aren't I?" _He thought in shock, before turning around and running towards the source of the noise, channelling chakra into his muscles for a shunshin. _'And he's the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune as well!? If I can play my cards right, I could definitely harness the fox's power.'_

Barely a ten seconds later, he had arrived at the noise's origin. A little child slumped up against the side of an alleyway, who couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

His killing intent flooded the alley, though he made sure to control it so that he would be undetected by ANBU. The crowd went silent. Some even began to vomit due to the sheer malevolence the man was radiating. He was the personification of fear.

The man looked at the young boy, lying unconscious on the ground, and opened his hand, and beckoned to the boy. An invisible force picked him up and pulled him to the man's arms, who placed two fingers under his jaw.

'_Good. There's a steady pulse.'_

Looking back at the crowd, he extended his arm and pointed his hand at them. The mob completely stilled. An look of revulsion crossed the man's face.

"Almighty Push."

* * *

In the shadow of the trees, a redheaded boy stepped forward and ran through a few hand seals, disgust on his face from what he had just witnessed. He had to move fast, before the ANBU arrived.

"Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The first man, with the long ginger hair in a ponytail stepped forward and formed similar hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Smoke once again exploded. Once it cleared, it revealed the man with three piercings through his nose. Without exchanging words, the six simultaneously turned and began to run in the direction of Ame.

* * *

Naruto cracked his eyes open slightly, and immediately regretted it as pain blossomed in his forehead. Immediately, a cool hand examined the damage. Pulling back after a few seconds of probing, a smooth voice began to talk in a low tone.

"You've been attacked in an alleyway. You have suffered blows to the head and may have minor concussion. I need you to stay calm and breathe evenly."

The first thing he noticed was that he was lying down, in relative comfort, on a surface that was reasonably soft albeit slightly chilly.

Secondly, there was someone taking care of him. That definitely came as a surprise. A smile began to make its way across his face.

"You can try and open your eyes now. Slowly," the voice murmured. Naruto complied, flicking open one eye before the other, squinting as his eyes adjusted to a soft green light that covered his saviour's hand.

He looked at the man. He was about seventeen, and of average height and slim build, with long red hair that covered one of his eyes. The revealed one was blue-black.

"What…" He tried to speak, forcing the words out of cracked lips. He swallowed and tried again. "What's your name?"

For a second, the man's lips curved upward. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a second, before answering.

"Nagato… Nagato Uzumaki."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he gasped, aches forgotten.

"Nii-san?" He asked, looking like he had just discovered fire. He wasn't alone?

The redhead nodded slightly. He could definitely use this boy to his advantage if he played his cards right.

"I realise it's a bit chilly out here, but I didn't know where your home was. Would you mind…?" He trailed off and looked questioningly at the boy, who immediately nodded and grabbed his slender hand, pulling him out of the park he had been hiding in, whilst telling him about his life.

Nagato smiled slightly – a miniscule twitching of his mouth.

"And what of the people? You must be quite popular with them." He knew, of course, judging by the mob, that the opposite was more accurate.

Looking over at the blonde, he watched the gaki's face twist into a sorrowful expression.

"The people don't… Like me. They're really mean and always do stuff to make life hard, nii-san." Then a slight smile. "But that's okay. I've got you now. Right?"

"And I you," Nagato replied smoothly.

'_As well as the Kyuubi for a bonus.'_

"Anyway, otouto. Tell me about yourself!"

* * *

He heard his new nii-san snort as he described in great detail his graffiti of the Hokage monument, which made him smile in contentment.

"And then there was this time when I–" The blonde stopped abruptly as he collided with a drunk who seemed to be gingerly holding his wrist whilst concurrently grasping a bottle of sake. When he saw the child, he gave a savage smile.

"Little freak," he snarled, spitting at the boy.

A hand grabbed Naruto and pulled him out of the way while the other settled into a single handed seal.

"Wind Style: Air Bullets!"

Several pellets of hardened air ripped through the man's shoulder, making him drop the bottle and leaving him gasping in agony. Naruto gaped at what had just happened for a second before latching onto his aniki, grabbing him into a hug.

"That was so _cool! _Are you a ninja? Teach me that jutsu! You're the best nii-san ever!" Naruto continued babbling a string of praises, before being interrupted.

"We have to move quickly," the redhead stated, ignoring the ceaseless chatting. Reluctantly, Naruto unstuck himself and took his hand again, walking at a more brisk pace, taking a shortcut through an empty alleyway.

Minutes later, they arrived at a worn, wooden door. Naruto stuck his hand into his trouser pocket and fished out a battered silver key, unlocking the entrance to his apartment and pushing it open, and awaiting his self-appointed brother's opinion with a nervous air.

* * *

Nagato looked at his relative's little apartment with a raised eyebrow. There were ramen cups scattered all over the kitchen and with unwashed pots littering the sink. The jinchuuriki looked sheepishly at the mess.

"Uh… It needs a bit of a wash…" He feebly tried, cheeks burning with embarrassment. The older boy ruffled his hair and stepped inside. Locating the nearest couch, he sank into it and motioned for the blonde to join him. Immediately, the kid closed the front door and jumped to sit next to the redhead.

"I never caught your name," Nagato said, fingers tapping a rhythm onto the sofa armrest. He'd gotten the habit from a certain orange-haired gaki a long time ago.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!" The boy yelled. Honestly, did he not know how to speak normally? "I love ramen, but I hate the three minutes it takes to cook after you add the water. I love the ramen Old Man Ichiraku makes even more than that! My dream is to become Hokage, so that everyone respects me! Dattebayo!"

The older boy frowned. "You don't need to become Hokage to earn respect. Is that the only reason you want the title?"

Naruto scrunched his face up into a thoughtful expression.

"Uhhh… I never thought of it that way. I guess?"

Nagato sighed. "Never mind. Anyway, as I was about to say, you cannot tell anyone about me. Got it?"

Naruto looked confused. "Why?"

The redhead groaned. "Because they'll think I'm a ninja who's infiltrated Konoha. After all, how many ninja do you see around here that aren't Leaf Shinobi?"

"Uh. Not many."

"Exactly."

He didn't want to have to deal with the Hokage yet. Sure, they were bound to realise eventually, but he would easily be able to talk himself out of any trouble. In the worst case, he'd be able to fight his way out. But whatever he didn't, he couldn't rely on Naruto to back him up. In the brief time he'd spent with his relative, he had already began to analyse him. He was too trusting – a bad liar. Sure, he'd probably try to help, but it would do more harm than anything else.

The blonde's eyes widened. "I won't tell anyone ever!"

He smiled slightly, before his eyelids began to droop. Somewhere in the night, six bodies slowed to a halt, each seeking a hiding place in the forest they were in.

"So, are you gonna teach me some cool new jutsu? You seem really strong!" The kid blurted out. Nagato forced his eyes open and began to answer the question.

"Well–"

"Whoa! Your eyes are weird!"

The redhead almost punched himself in a rare show of frustration.

'_I'm such an idiot! I forgot about the Rinnegan activating when I used my Paths! Then again, I didn't exactly prepare for this turn of events when I travelled here.'_

He briefly considered killing the boy to ensure his secret's safety, before deciding against it.

"It's what Shinobi call a Henge," he explained, hoping the gaki wouldn't ask why he was wearing one. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to anyone."

"WE LEARNED THAT IN THE ACADEMY! Look!" The boy closed his eyes and clasped his hands into a seal. "Sexy Jutsu!"

A burst of smoke appeared from nowhere and surrounded his relative. When it cleared, it revealed a rather _curvy _woman, with nothing but quickly receding smoke to preserve her modesty.

With an exasperated sigh, Nagato tapped his new brother on the forehead.

"Gakido!"

"Whoa, that feels… Weird. I'm so… Sleepy…"

The boy groaned before falling off his chair. Nagato caught him before he hit the ground, and proceeded to pull him over to the bed in the corner of the room.

Allowing himself a brief smirk at gaining the boy's trust, he lay back on the couch and closed his eyes, Rinnegan deactivating.

* * *

Ring ding ding! Ring ding ding!

Naruto slapped his alarm clock, effectively shutting it up. The time read 7:30 – still an hour before the Academy started. Yawning, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yesterday's events coming back into his mind.

"Aniki!" He exclaimed loudly, looking at the sofa. Nagato was nowhere to be seen. The blonde's lip wobbled dangerously as he thought of the possibility that he could have imagined what happened. Had his oniichan left him?

Then smelled it – a delicious scent wafting through his little apartment from the kitchen. Throwing the door to the other half of the room open, he laid his eyes upon a delicious-looking spread of food.

Rice and steamed vegetables with fish were laid on the table, along with a small bowl of ramen. Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Nii-san! You… You made this for me?" He yelped. "You didn't have to!"

Nagato looked at him. "My sensei had a strong belief that I should know how to cook. Besides, with the training you've got today, you'll need it."

One would almost be able to see the cogs grinding in Naruto's head as he thought, perplexed.

"Training? Academy's not _that _hard."

His older brother gave a shark's grin. "It's a shame you're sick, then, isn't it? You won't be able to attend."

The blonde's face morphed into a confused expression.

"I'm not sick!" He denied, shaking his head at the older boy's statement.

Nagato buried his face in his hands.

"I know you're not sick, baka. You'll be training with me today."

"But I'm not allowed–"

"I'll go for you," the redhead stated matter-of-factly. Without any hand signs, a shadow clone appeared and henged into an identical copy of Naruto.

"But still! I can't–"

"I'll teach you new techniques."

Naruto frowned. "You think I'd sink so low as to miss out on Konoha's century-old training program over some new technique?"

"Yes."

"Argh, whatever. Let's eat!"

* * *

"The first trick in being a Shinobi is chakra control," Nagato explained, scratching his red hair as he tried to remember the first few lessons his sensei taught him. He was leaning on a tall oak in Konoha's village park, whilst Naruto was sitting on the grass.

"So we're going to be climbing trees–"

Naruto gave an exaggerated yawn. "I can climb trees in my sleep, nii-sensei. It's easy for me!"

"Without using our hands," he finished. The kid's confusion manifested on his face, prompting Nagato to sigh. Was the Konoha Academy really that bad?

"Pay close attention," he instructed his pupil. Channelling chakra to his feet, the redhead proceeded to walk up the trunk of the tree and, after spreading the chakra to his legs, sat cross legged, upside down, on a branch.

"That's awesome! How the heck did ya do that?" Naruto gushed. His face lit up with awe.

"It's quite a simple concept, really. You simply channel chakra to wherever you want to stick to the tree. In this case, the bottoms of your feet. Be warned though – it is the hardest area to establish chakra control over, and since you have a lot of chakra, it'll be even harder for you."

He looked over to see the blonde jump up to his feet. "I'll have this done in no time, nii-san! Just watch me!"

* * *

Eight hours later, Nagato was beginning to get irritable. He had already told the other boy to take a break twenty two times exactly, and was about to stab him with a chakra rod.

"Naruto. You've made enough progress. It took me two days to fully learn it," Nagato lied. It had taken the older boy less than five minutes to figure out tree-walking, but then again, his eyes gave him the advantage.

"No worries, nii-sensei! I've almost got the hang of this," Naruto yelled from his position in the tree, before becoming unstuck and falling to the ground with an "oomph." Leaping to his feet, he tried again, this time leaving deep footprints in the old bark.

"Aren't you hungry at all?" Nagato tried, hoping the boy's love for ramen would trump his hunger to learn for now.

"Now that you mention it…" The blonde said thoughtfully. "I wanna show you this _awesome _place for ramen! Let's go!"

"Finally," Nagato sighed, and allowed himself to be pulled back through the exit of the park, into a main street. Noticing something odd, he poked Naruto's forehead to get his attention.

"Why are they looking at you like that?" He asked, faking puzzlement. His relative's eyes moistened, and he looked away from the older boy.

"Dunno. S'always been that way," he muttered.

"Why would you even _want _their respect?" Nagato said, a curious tone underlying his usual deadpan.

"I dunno," Naruto mumbled.

Seeing he didn't want to talk about it, the redhead let the subject drop. Fingers tapping on the side of his leg, he continued to walk in silence.

A minute later, they reached the stand, the scent of broth wafting through the air. Naruto immediately jumped to sit in the seat second from the end on the left. Nagato moved to sit on his right, but the blonde put his hand on the seat.

"This is where Iruka-sensei always sits," he protested. "You can sit here instead," he suggested, waving his hand to the seat on his left.

"Troublesome…" the redhead sighed before gracefully perching on the stool, hugging one of his knees to his chest whilst letting the other one dangle down. Somewhere in Konoha, two certain Naras sneezed.

'_Hm? Troublesome…' _They both mentally yawned as they went back to their naps.

The old man running the stand straightened his hat and gave Naruto a wide grin.

"Naruto! The usual, I suppose?" He didn't wait for a nod of confirmation before turning to Nagato and smiling uncertainly. "I haven't seen you before, lad. You new around these parts?"

The youth nodded. "I'm here on an extended holiday. It's my first proper day in the village."

Luckily, the old man bought it and extended his flour-caked hand which Nagato shook with great reluctance.

"I'm Teuchi Ichiraku, owner and chef of Ichiraku ramen! I'd introduce you to my daughter, but she wasn't feeling well enough to come to work today."

The redhead replied. "My name is Nagato. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ichiraku-san."

The old man laughed. "None of that, gaki. Teuchi's fine."

"Teuchi is it then."

"And what will you be having?"

The boy looked at the menu for a second.

"I have whatever Naruto-chan's having," he ordered in a monotone.

The chef smiled. "Two orders of Miso Ramen with extra pork, coming right up!"

Suddenly he heard Naruto gasp. "Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here?"


	2. School days

**A/N: Sorry for not updating. I'm a lazy writer :P but hey! Late is better than never.**

**Beta: GuiltyBird. Check out his **_**awesome **_**stuff at (u/1733848)**

**Going to do some questions with each update! Let's do this! Check the bottom out for Q&A section.**

**Without further ado, I present to thee! Chapter 2!**

* * *

"_Dad! Dad! Can you train me too?" squeaked a certain 6 year old redhead. Seeing his son, the man rolled his eyes exasperatedly._

"_Nagato," he sighed. "You know your sister needs the training, because of the… You-know-what. Right?"_

_Seeing the redhead's dejected, tearful look, he exhaled impatiently._

"_Go and study the scrolls if you want. Kushina cannot wait." The man rubbed his brow wearily. "Besides, it's only another two years before Academy starts! I'm sorry, Nagato, but the Heiress has to get priority."_

_Nagato rubbed his rapidly moistening eyes._

"_Maybe you could teach me tomorrow, then?" He asked hopefully._

_The older man groaned._

"_No, Nagato. Maybe when you're older. You haven't shown any talent as a ninja. When your sister was your age–"_

_But the young child had heard enough. Tears running down his face, he kicked open the door to the cabin and ran. _

_He ran as far away as he could, away from his "father", into the depths of the forest, before letting it all out in a scream of bottled up frustration._

_He gasped for breath for a moment, before continuing the terrible cry until he couldn't carry on anymore._

"_How could she take away everything? Even my BIRTHRIGHT AS HEIR?" He yelled. "HOW DARE SHE TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!"_

_Tears began to stream down his face._

"_Even my parents! My village! My clan! It's always her!" He roared. "I'll show them! ALMIGHTY... _

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was having a bad day. No, scratch that. He was royally pissed off.

His morning started without any hiccups. Getting up at 7am, buying himself breakfast and a packed lunch, practising his brooding pose whilst eating, fantasising about the ways he would kill Itachi, then going to the Academy.

Then, he proceeded to sit in his practised position and wait in annoyance for the dobe to show himself and sit on his left, attempting to best him all day, and whichever banshee arrived first – Ino or Sakura – to sit on his right and fawn over him for hours on end.

'_And here comes the first idiot,' _he thought with the faintest trace of humour.

His eyes followed Naruto Uzumaki as he walked in through the door, looked around, and sat in the seat on Sasuke's _right_. How unusual.

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted. The Uzumaki didn't reply, which was strange. Normally, he'd shove himself in the raven haired boy's face, jealous of his coolness.

But today? No. The blonde just sat still, the index finger on his right hand tapping an unusual four-beat rhythm.

Maybe the dobe hadn't heard properly. He tried again.

"Hn."

The other boy turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"Did you need something?" He asked nonchalantly. Sasuke's eyebrows almost shot off his forehead. Turning away, he began to do his customary glare at the blackboard.

Naruto yawned slightly, showing his white canines, before turning back to face the front of the class. Then he cocked his head.

Sasuke frowned slightly, before focusing his senses.

'_Shit.' _He thought bitterly. It looked like the pink-haired fangirl had arrived first. Seconds later, he was proved to be correct, as Sakura barged in, throwing the wooden door open and practically throwing herself at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" She squealed. "Let's go on a date when class is done. Okay?"

Sasuke casually began to unpack his bag, placing his textbooks on the table. He withdrew a pencil from the pencil case in the bag's front pocket. He then glanced at Naruto in expectance.

The dobe remained silent.

'_Something's definitely off with the idiot,' _he thought. Usually, Naruto would be all over Sakura, begging for a date. She would then proceed to sock him in the face before fawning a little more over Sasuke.

The pink-haired banshee looked at Naruto in indignation.

"You're in my seat, you dead last!" She yelled at him, throwing a punch in his face. Sasuke allowed himself a brief smirk, expecting the sound of a sharp impact.

It never came.

He looked over to his right in confusion, before his expression morphed into shock. Naruto had kicked his chair back so that he sat at a 45 degree angle, leaning casually on the desk behind him.

Sakura's rage grew and she threw a second punch. In an instant, the blonde had grabbed her arm and used her own momentum to twist it behind her back, fluidly rising to his feet. His face remained stoic as he spoke in a deadpan.

"If you do that again, I will break your arm."

The silence that ensued was created by slight fear of the small blonde. Naruto shoved her away and she stumbled into another desk, before she began whimpering quietly, sitting in the seat at the far corner. Ino, who had just arrived to see this, looked at the boy in fright and sat three desks away.

Sasuke almost congratulated the dobe on his achievement, but before he could mutter an appreciative "hn," the teacher walked in.

"Good morning, class!" He shouted, ceasing all conversation.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei," the entire class minus Sasuke, Shikamaru and Naruto chorused. Iruka looked at the blonde, troubled by his reaction, but dismissed it.

"I can see you're all here. Now, I hope you revised hard for the graduation exam today! Right, we can start with ninjutsu, taijutsu, general sparring or written. What would you prefer?"

Eventually the class agreed on general sparring, since it was the most fun to watch and a good choice to warm up with. After that, it was taijutsu, then ninjutsu and finally written exams.

* * *

'_Graduation exam? Why, the little… I knew something was up with that grin! Maybe I should fail on purpose…'_

The clone of Nagato followed Iruka into the courtyard, where the other kids were already forming a circle. The scarred teacher cleared his throat and read off a scroll.

"Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno! Come up here!"

They trailed forward.

"You two are up first. Take your stances!"

The two dropped into basic academy taijutsu stances.

"Begin!"

Nagato almost laughed at their pathetic attempt at taijutsu. He'd known the Academy was bad, but not this bad. If he were one of them, he could have killed the other at least twenty times already, even staying at Academy level speed and strength.

Finally, the battle ended when Ino attempted to use the Bunshin no jutsu with painfully slow hand signs. Sakura used that time period to sock her in the jaw, knocking her to the floor.

"The match goes to Sakura!" Iruka yelled. "Next up!"

He consulted the scroll.

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!"

Nagato stepped forward, ceasing his tapping on his trouser leg. He looked at the raven-haired boy. Both had a stoic expression as they stared at the other.

"Take your stances!"

Sasuke settled into a modified Uchiha stance, whilst Nagato sank into his own taijutsu style he created years ago. Iruka looked flabbergasted at that.

'_Well it's the only one I know. I can't flail about and get dispelled now – I'm only using necessary force.' _He inwardly reasoned.

"Begin!"

For a few tense seconds, neither boy moved. Then Sasuke, an arrogant smirk appearing on his face, launched into a flurry of motion.

'_I'll finish this fight quickly.'_

A fist connecting with his face jarred him out of that line of thought. Shock spread through his mind and his expression turned passive.

He hadn't even seen the boy move! But there the blonde stood to Sasuke's side, fist still outstretched.

Seconds later, he was forced into defence as Naruto launched into a relentless attack. Kicks, elbows, open palms and jabs all connected with various pressure points as Sasuke tried to defend himself from the brutal onslaught.

'_This isn't good! I can't stop him! How did the dobe learn that?' _He cursed.

Jumping backwards in a flip, he hurried through several seals before placing his finger and thumb next to his mouth.

"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!"

Flames exploded from the raven-haired boy's mouth, heating the air to an almost unbearable temperature. He didn't go all out – he didn't want to reduce the dobe to ash, after all, but he made it so the blonde would be well charred.

"Water Style: Water Wall jutsu!"

A huge torrent of water overwhelmed the flames, dousing them, even as voice came from behind.

"Never let your guard down, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke whirled around to see Naruto standing there, palm outstretched.

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"

* * *

A sphere of water surrounded Sasuke. Furiously, he pummelled the wall of the barrier and tried to substitute out, but to no avail. Finally, he gave up and crossed his arms.

Nagato looked at the teacher, who wore a shocked look on his face.

"Naruto… Wins…" He stammered in surprise. _'Holy shit! How did he…?'_

The redhead let the prison drop, dispelled the shadow clone that used the Water Wall jutsu, and held his hand out to the collapsed raven-haired boy to shake. The younger lifted his head and glared.

"How did you do that?" He practically snarled. "Where did you learn those jutsu?"

Nagato was about to reply with a vague answer, before he heard a slight rustle from behind and instinctively dodged, grabbing the arm that was thrown at him and twisting it into a lock behind the attacker's back.

Sakura began to yell. "How dare you do that to Sasuke-kun, Naruto-baka! Let me go right now and take your punishment like a man."

Nagato's face remained impassive.

"Let you go and take the punishment?" He asked. "All right then."

He snapped her arm like a twig, enjoying the crunch and screams of pain. After a moment of consideration, he broke it again at the shoulder before kicking her away to sob in the dirt.

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, rushing forward and grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "What's gotten into you?"

Nagato tilted his head slightly, confused.

"She tried to punch me twice. I already warned her once before," he stated impassively. "Besides, she should have worded her speech more carefully. I might have considered it then."

Iruka looked furious. "You should never hit a girl like that!"

The redhead clenched his fist. What was this idiot talking about?

'_If Hanzo had thought that way, Yahiko and Konan would still be here,' _he thought with a hint of melancholy.

"You think gender differentiates Shinobi? That pain should only apply to males?" He questioned, anger beginning to lace his tone. "I will not treat anyone differently for such a petty reason. The life of a ninja is full of suffering and pain. If she cannot handle something as tiny as broken bones, she should leave now. And you, _sensei_." He spat the word in a mocking tone. "You are a fool to think differently."

The man looked hurt, but quickly hid his emotions. The class was shaken, each and every one of them staring at Nagato with fear and slight wonder. The Rinnegan wielder sighed, before bending down and clasping Sasuke's hand, pulling the Uchiha to his feet.

"Good fight, Sasuke," he said. He meant it too – he didn't expect a genin to give him even the slightest amount of trouble.

He turned around to walk away, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Nagato turned and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

The Uchiha wore a snarl on his face.

"How long have you been holding back for, Naruto! Where did you learn those jutsu!" He growled. "Tell me now!"

Nagato fixed him with a glare. Hopefully it looked alright on Naruto's face. This was really his best friend's brother?

"You should learn to see past deception, Sasuke-kun," he commented, fingers already beginning to tap against his leg. "All right then. If that's all, I'll–"

Two ANBU Black Ops members appeared from nowhere, one holding a cloth to Nagato's face. The clone was instantly knocked out. The henge dispelled.

Nagato's final thought? Well that was easy.

'_Shit.'_

* * *

"Hokage-sama. This clone was masquerading as Naruto, and went to the Academy in his place," the cat ANBU reported, motioning to the unconscious copy under his arm.

The Sandaime Hokage of Konoha wearily blew a cloud of smoke into the air.

"I take it you have located the real Naruto?" He asked, anxiously chewing his pipe.

The ANBU nodded. "The original of this clone is with him, and is apparently teaching him chakra control. We are watching him to see why he's in Konoha, and we are ready to intervene any sign of ill intent. The clone is being kept drugged in order to stop it from dispelling itself."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

"This enemy ninja is just walking around without a care in the world?"

The Cat ANBU grimaced behind his emotionless mask.

"That's the amazing thing. His chakra reserves are simply huge. It's not that he _couldn't _hide himself, but more he doesn't care if he's discovered."

The Hokage took a puff of smoke.

"How huge, exactly?" He questioned.

The ANBU rubbed his chin.

"The last time we've seen anything on this scale is… The Kyuubi's attack."

Sarutobi choked on his pipe.

* * *

"_Leader-sama," Itachi smirked._

"_Oh, piss off, Itachi," Nagato snorted. He walked over to the foot of the Gedo Mazo they had yet to begin sealing tailed beasts into._

_The Uchiha twisted his Akatsuki ring around his finger a couple of times, before talking hesitantly._

"_So, why did you call me here to your original body?" He asked curiously._

_Nagato kneaded his forehead._

"_I'm going to have to sync with the Gedo Mazo soon, and it'll take all of my chakra and a sizeable chunk from my life force. I'll be rendered immobile – my body will be too fragile to use. I would have to rely on my Paths to survive."_

_Itachi looked startled._

"_Can't anyone else sync with it? Isn't there another way?"_

_The redhead looked slightly depressed._

"_Only if a tailed beast were to willingly relinquish its chakra… Genjutsu on the host wouldn't affect the demon so that's out of the option. Releasing the tailed beast is plain stupid, so we can scratch that too…" Nagato trailed off, deep in thought. "Anyway, back to the reason I summoned you. In exactly seven months, Konoha will be hosting the Chunin exams. Three jinchuriki – the Ichibi, the Yonbi and the Kyuubi will be attending. There is also a high possibility that the jinchuriki of the Gyuki, the younger brother of the Fourth Raikage, and the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi will be present."_

"_And you want me to go to Konoha?"_

_The younger boy nodded._

"_We will both enter as Ame Shinobi, along with Tobi. We will attempt to capture the jinchuriki of the Yonbi primarily, in order to test the sealing process. If we manage to snag any others, then it's just an added bonus."_

_The boy rubbed his brow, frowning slightly._

"_Sasori's spy network has notified him that Orochimaru is planning an invasion of Konoha by killing and imitating the Fourth Kazekage and convincing both Iwa and Kiri to aid him. The Ichibi will be released during the exams. During this period of chaos, yourself and Tobi will capture the Yonbi. If you see an opportunity to take any other tailed beasts, then take it. But only if you are certain you will be able to capture it."_

_Itachi nodded, seeing the sense._

"_Understood, Nagato. I will make arrangements once we take Hanzo's seat of power."_

_The Akatsuki leader gave a weary grin to his best friend. Together, they would bring peace to the world._

* * *

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto blurted out suddenly. "What are you doing here?"

Nagato whirled around in his seat, a half hand sign being prepared, only to be grabbed by the furious teacher.

'_They know. It's the only possibility as to why my shadow clone didn't dispel.'_

"Who are you?" He snarled, shaking the slender boy. "What have you been doing to Naruto?"

Luckily, the redhead had prepared for a moment like this. He acted dumb.

"I'm sorry, sir. You see, I'm Naruto's cousin. I'm here on an extended holiday. I only met him yesterday and I thought we'd bunk school today so I could teach him a trick about chakra control, since he can't do the Bunshin no jutsu."

Now, Nagato didn't actually know whether or not Naruto could perform the Clone Jutsu, but he assumed he couldn't.

Iruka growled.

'_Crap. I knew extended holiday sounded bad… But I've still got the sensei card I can use!'_

"You're a ninja, obviously. One of your shadow clones wiped the floor with our rookie of the year!"

Naruto jumped up at this and beamed.

"My Nii-sensei is the best! The teme doesn't stand a chance against him!" he yelled out to the world. Nagato sighed in exasperation.

"The truth is, I'm here to see my Sensei. My apologies if we worried you."

Upon hearing Nagato's explanation, the teacher relaxed slightly, relinquishing his hold on the boy's cloak.

"The Hokage will want to speak to you…"

"Nagato Uzumaki," the redhead supplied.

"Uzumaki-san…" he said, sarcasm and disbelief underlying his tone. "If he isn't spoken to by the end of today, I will have to inform him you are withholding information."

Nagato smiled tightly, rising from his chair, leaving his ramen untouched. Flipping a few coins onto the table, he grabbed Naruto who was finishing off…

WHAT?

'_I must be imagining this!' _the redhead panicked.

A stack of empty ramen bowls lay on the counter next to the cheery blonde. The redhead was aghast. He turned to Iruka.

"Did he just…?"

"Yeah."

"But… How?"

"I've been asking myself that same question for three years…"

The leader of the Akatsuki and wielder of the legendary Rinnegan sullenly pulled out his frog-shaped wallet and tipped it upside down on the table, watching sorrowfully as the coins bounced away. Rising to his feet, he grabbed Naruto slightly more roughly than necessary and began to make his way to the Hokage tower, before being stopped by Iruka.

"Today was the graduation exam. Naruto still needs to take his test if he wants to be a genin," the scarred Shinobi pointed out.

Nagato paled. The boy had next to no chakra control, even after the tree-walking exercise.

"Can't we push it back to next week?" He pleaded.

Unfortunately, the teacher shook his head, while dragging the blonde gaki back.

"We can't make exceptions for anyone. If I could, then I would," he apologised.

Naruto, however, still wore a wide grin.

"Don't worry, oniichan! With your training, I'll get through this no problem!"

With that, he turned and marched towards the academy, Iruka trailing at his heels. Nagato groaned.

* * *

The old man looked at the redhead sagely. Taking a long draught of smoke from his pipe, he exhaled slowly before speaking.

"Why, pray tell, did you come to Konoha?" he interrogated, a frown on his face. The redhead didn't look happy, motioning towards the guards.

"I won't talk with them listening in," he insisted. "You can trust me."

Sarutobi raised a wizened eyebrow. "Can you prove that?"

The boy thought for a second, before nodding sagely, and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a flat, frog-shaped wallet. The Hokage's eyes widened.

"A certain toad once told me about how his teacher was a great fan of his work. What was it called again… Oh yes! Ich–"

He was cut off by the old man waving his hand through the air.

"There won't be any need for that. ANBU, leave us!"

The bird and cat ANBU stationed at the office gave the Hokage an unspoken plea to allow them to remain, but the Sandaime was unmoved.

Reluctantly, they trailed out the door. Once they had left, the Hokage held his hands in a Ram seal, activating the secrecy symbols that flashed in a blue flare.

"We can talk privately now," the old man said. "So you're one of _Jiraiya's _students. He's kept a lot about you to himself. All I heard was that he trained 3 students some years after the war. Where are the other–"

"Dead."

"Oh…" Sarutobi followed up pathetically. "I see. I take it you came here in order to visit Jiraiya?"

The boy nodded.

"Who's asking for him?"

The boy rubbed his brow wearily.

"Nagato Uzumaki."

Suddenly everything went clicked.

'_That's why he took Naruto away to train! It also explains his red hair.'_

"A cousin of Naruto's, I presume?" He asked.

"No. But I have reason to believe we're the last Uzumakis in existence. I am responsible for him."

The Sandaime sighed. He really was getting too old for this.

"I see… So, Nagato. I suppose you are looking to be a Konoha ninja?" He commented, refilling his pipe with tobacco from a drawer and using a match to light it.

Nagato shook his head, prompting a frown from the old man, who took a puff on his pipe before speaking.

"I'm going to have to insist. I'm sure you know about your chakra levels. You could be a huge threat…" He trailed off.

"I am not, and do not plan to be, a Konoha Shinobi. Jiraiya-sensei will vouch for me. However, I will strike you a deal."

The Hokage motioned for him to go on, squeezing the end of his pipe with his teeth.

"Should you keep my identity and prowess a secret, then in the event of any and all attacks, I shall defend and look after Naruto. That is all I am offering. Take it or leave it."

Weighing up the pros and cons of the situation, the old man could already see it was a good deal. He was fairly certain this… _Civilian… _Was at the very least Jonin strength. Plus, it would mean Naruto would be properly looked after.

"You won't make any money," he feebly tried. The redhead smiled mysteriously.

"I've got more than enough for several lifetimes, Sandaime-sama. I'll break into the apartment next to otouto's – the whole block is empty anyway."

The Hokage tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Ugh… Fine… I'll have to test your true strength in a spar with one of our Jonin, as well as confirm with Jiraiya you're telling the truth. After all, we can't have a rogue Shinobi with tailed-beast level Chakra running around the village, can we?" He chuckled, reversing the privacy seals.

Immediately the doors burst open. The cat ANBU didn't even kneel. How strange.

"Hokage-sama! The forbidden scroll has been stolen by Naruto Uzumaki!"

* * *

Naruto scratched his head, reading the first jutsu.

Shadow clone jutsu. This jutsu uses large sums of chakra and should only be attempted by Shinobi of at least advanced Chunin level. Standard practisers should be Jonin.

"Advanced Chunin and Jonin? Uses large sums of chakra?" Naruto read. "Oh yeah! Nagato-nii-sensei told me that I have a lot of chakra! This'll be a piece of cake! I owe ya one for telling me this, Mizuki-sensei!"

* * *

Nagato didn't even stop to think. His body seemed to move by itself.

'_What an idiot!' _he mentally growled. Casting his senses out, he searched for the gaki.

'_There! In the forest!'_

He didn't stop to open the wooden doors, choosing the quickest route out of the Hokage tower – straight through the glass window.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The window shattered without a single seal, the Hokage staring at him in surprise. Ignoring the Sandaime, he immediately jumped out the window and leapt from building to building in pursuit of the blonde.

'_He can't have done this by himself. He's far too innocent to do that. The question is who put him up to it.' _Nagato pondered, increasing his pace. His red hair blew behind him but he didn't stop to secure it.

'_Whoever it was must be trying to steal the scroll. If I get to him first, there's a good chance that I'll be able to win the Hokage's trust by taking it back. I can also make a copy for myself.'_

He inwardly smirked, though his face remained in its usual stoic expression. That was a good plan.

* * *

Iruka dropped out of the trees into the small clearing. Naruto looked up and saw him, before beaming triumphantly.

"I did it, Iruka-sensei! I learned the jutsu! Can I pass now? Please?" He sang, doing a small victory dance before raising his two fingers in a "V" sign.

It could have been a trick of the light, but was Iruka… Angry?

The Chunin clenched his fists, the knuckles whitening.

"Who told you that learning a jutsu from the _FORBIDDEN _Scroll would let you pass?" The scarred Shinobi hissed in rage.

Naruto, oblivious to the man's obvious fury, smiled at him, showing a complete set of white teeth.

"Mizuki-sensei did! Cool, huh?"

A flicker of shadows. A widening of the teacher's eyes. A blur coming closer and closer until…

SHNNK!

Iruka-sensei was kneeling over him, a metal shuriken tip imbedded into his back. Blood slowly began to drip from his mouth, oozing down his chin onto the floor. The scarred man didn't show any emotion, despite the pain.

Standing now between two trees, arm still outstretched, was… Mizuki?

"Give me the scroll, Naruto!" The traitor called out.

The blonde's eyes widened. What was going on?

He heard a groan from above him, and remembered Iruka. The red liquid was spreading over the floor now.

"Don't do it, Naruto!"

Mizuka laughed.

"As if you've ever cared about him, Iruka!" He screamed at the man in his insane mirth. "He's a demon!"

The Chunin turned to the blonde gaki.

"Ever wondered why you're avoided? Why everybody HATES YOU?" He shrieked, making the child flinch. "You're the nine-tailed fox! It was sealed inside _you! _You're a _DEMON!_"

The child's eyes widened. He gasped, unable to stop himself. Tears filled his eyes – he completely believed Mizuki, but then…

"Naruto. Listen to me carefully. You are _not _a demon. By being a vessel, you saved thousands of lives. Just remember this: Mizuki _cannot _get the secret scroll!" He coughed, red liquid spraying the earth. "Run. If he gets it, war could break out!"

* * *

'_Found him!'_

The idiot teacher was leaning against a tree, nursing bleeding wounds on his leg. Naruto was standing on a tree branch, a terrible snarl on his face as he gripped the forbidden scroll. He seemed to be saying something, but Nagato was too far away to read his lips or hear him.

Suddenly, he held his hands up in a Tiger seal. In an instant, hundreds of clones puffed into existence. The blonde gave a savage grin, as all the clones leapt at a figure he couldn't quite make out.

Muffled yelps. Small screams. Splattered blood.

'_I should take a closer look.'_

Leaping forward, he peered over at the bloodied man. The traitorous teacher lay in a pool of blood on the floor, his ex-student standing with a victorious smirk over him. Iruka gave a sharp bark of laughter, before bursting into guffaws. Naruto looked at him, and, after a second, followed his example.

A couple of minutes later, Nagato was getting bored. He made his entrance.

"Nicely done, Naruto-kun. I see you took advantage of your sizeable chakra reserves," he smiled.

Iruka spluttered.

"_Sizeable!? _To create that many shadow clones? He has a bloody mountain of the stuff!"

Naruto grinned, showing off his sharp canines.

"Nii-san! Did you see how I totally kicked his butt?" He exclaimed, doing utterly bemusing taijutsu air-kicks.

The redhead gave a disturbing smile. His eyes seemed to curve slightly.

"Very good, Naruto."

* * *

Somewhere in Konoha, a silver-haired Jonin reading a particular orange book sneezed behind his mask.

"Did someone say something?" He wondered aloud.

* * *

The blonde's smile drooped slightly. He stumbled towards his sensei, who looked at him worriedly. What was…

'_Iruka-sensei said I must have used a lot of chakra to create those clones. Is that why I'm feeling…'_

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, knees beginning to buckle before he felt a pair of slim arms wrap around him, supporting him. The smell of fresh herbs washed over him.

"Easy, Naruto. Try and stay awake now," he heard Nagato say. The gaki forced his eyes open and yawned slightly, before releasing the redhead's grip on him.

"I can stand fine! I'm not even tired! Believe it!" he slurred, before collapsing in an undignified heap on the floor. His vision darkened, but not before seeing his nii-san bury his face in his hands in exasperation.

"You're such an idiot, Naruto…" the redhead smiled.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Q&A Time!**

**Q: Who's your favourite Naruto character, and who's your favourite anime character?**

**A: Damn. I reckon it's a 3-way tie with DUBBED Might Guy (HA! Ka-KASHEH!), Nagato (underrated, but remains the best villain in my opinion) and Itachi.**

**As for my favourite anime character, definitely L Lawliet from Death Note. Because he's simply awesome.**

**Next chapter's question: If you could change one thing about Naruto, what would it be?**

**I leave you with this. See if you can tell what it is!**

"… **I had to test this just in case… But I never thought it would actually happen!"**


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